So many times we purchase groceries without having a clue. We have just set ourselves up for either failure or a Ho-Hum dish before we even get home with them.
This is one phrase you will find that is so true in baking. To avoid some of those pitfalls, I highly encourage you to make a copy of this article and the one I recently wrote, “Hamburger: Everything You Wanted to Know.” Simply take the articles with you and use them as a guideline in what you purchase until you remember the information like the back of your hand.
The one item that people buy regularly is “FLOUR.” If you are one of those who think any type of flour is okay to keep in the pantry for when you need it, then your views may change after this article.
The first rule of thumb:
When you are standing at the shelf containing Plain, All Purpose, Self Rising, Cake Flour, and more versions of flours than you thought possible, you need to do one thing. STOP! Ask yourself what am I going to do with this flour?
If you ask some people where flour comes from, you will get a look that says, "That’s a dumb question. It comes from the farmer. Where else would it come from?"
However, I am proud to say, this is not the case with my regular readers. I have found you have the skills that match or exceed many of the Food Network's Culinary Stars. Being a member of a very elite group that knows flour comes from many different sources such as wheat, rice, millet, flax, corn, nuts, legumes, vegetables, and know one type of flour does not have all the properties to give you the best results of every baking need, you stand out above the mass of humanity.
Studies indicate you have an above average intelligence, are better looking or prettier than most, your children are well behaved and have honorary adoption papers in the Walton Family, with a table seat at the right side of John Boy. Best of all you have a higher income range of most Americans, and if you do not at this time, just the knowledge gained here will have the direct effect of increasing your future income.
Of all the flours purchased, All PURPOSE FLOUR is the flour that goes in the grocery cart the most. To make this flour they simply blend soft red winter and hard red winter wheat having about a 10-12% protein content. But then did something that made it even more confusing, they made it either bleached or unbleached. Bleached means treated with chemicals while it ages and Unbleached means allowed to bleach naturally as it ages.
What is the difference?:
If you are in the mood to make a Pie Crust, Cookies, Quick breads, Pancakes or Waffles then use bleached as it has less protein than the unbleached. (Some taste tests say bleached flours have a slight flat or metallic taste.)
If you are hankering to make Puff Pastries, Strudels, Éclairs, Popovers, Cream Puffs or Yeast Breads then unbleached is your pick.
Why can’t I use the All Purpose Flour or Self Rising Flour for cakes if I have it already? The answer is you can and the cake will be good. But if you really want to put on the dog and make a cake that puts you up there with the pros, then get a bag of CAKE FLOUR. The difference in the cake will amaze you as this flour is milled from soft wheat, has a finer grind with a greater starch content, and a protein percentage of 9%.
It is then chlorinated to make the flour more acidic causing the cake to set faster. This hedges against the cake falling during the first 20 minutes of baking time, and allows the fat to distribute more easily throughout the batter.
This not only improves the texture but also balances the moisture within the cake. The end result will be a very soft, moist cake that feels light on your fork and in your mouth. There is one thing you need to remember, once you open the bag, put what you don’t use in a Zip Lock Storage Bag to keep the humidity out.
BREAD FLOWER has more gluten and a protein level of around 12 %. This style of flour gives a chewy texture and sturdy dough to work with. The flavor is more intense with the outer crust having the ability to be a little crispier.
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR is a great subject to have available to discuss with perfect strangers. It is good vetting tool to weed out the individuals who do not match your superior intellect. The question to ask is, do they know the three elements of the wheat berry? If they know the answer, then I highly suggest you invite them home because these folks know their stuff. Just to refresh your memory, the answer is the outer bran layer, the germ, the heart of the berry, and the endosperm.
To make traditional whole wheat flour the entire berry is ground, unlike white flours where only the endosperm is used. This flour does not store well after one month, so if you do not use it all within 30 days of opening, put it in the freezer.
I hope you have become so enlightened the next time you go to the grocery store you can stand by the flour section and tell all within hearing distance why they should pick one flour or another. By the time you are through they will be wanting you to come home to cook for them.
Trader
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